WPBakery Page Builder Not Working
Page Builders & Themes
Your page is showing its own shortcodes as plain text.
Pages display raw shortcodes like [vc_row] and [vc_column_text] as visible text, or the backend editor will not load. Often follows a theme change or a WordPress update.
What it actually means
WPBakery builds pages out of shortcodes stored in your content. When the plugin is active it converts them into layout; when it is not, the shortcodes are just text, and your visitors see the scaffolding.
That dependency is the whole problem with this builder. The layout is not stored as HTML — it is stored as instructions that only WPBakery can read. Deactivate it, switch themes, or let it fall out of date, and the instructions become visible gibberish.
It also explains the most common trigger: WPBakery is frequently bundled with a theme rather than licensed directly, so it only updates when the theme does. A theme that stops being maintained takes the builder down with it.
What usually causes it
Most likely first.
- 1
The plugin is deactivated or missing
Shortcodes stop being processed and render as literal text.
- 2
A bundled version that has fallen behind
Included with the theme and only updated when the theme is. An abandoned theme means a frozen builder.
- 3
A theme change
The new theme does not include or support WPBakery, so the old shortcodes are orphaned.
- 4
A PHP version incompatibility
Older WPBakery releases fail outright on modern PHP.
- 5
A conflict with another builder
Two builders active on the same site fighting over the same content.
How to fix it
Work through these in order. Take a backup before you change anything.
Step 1 — Confirm the plugin is active
If shortcodes are showing as text, this is almost always why. Reactivate it and the layout returns immediately.
Step 2 — Check how it is licensed
Find out whether it came bundled with your theme or was purchased separately. That determines whether you can update it independently.
Step 3 — Update the theme to update the builder
For bundled copies this is the only route. If the theme is no longer maintained, you have a bigger decision to make.
Step 4 — Check PHP compatibility
Older versions break on PHP 8. Roll PHP back temporarily to confirm, then plan a real fix rather than staying behind.
Step 5 — Plan a migration if it is abandoned
If the theme and builder are both unmaintained, rebuilding on the block editor or a supported builder is cheaper than repeatedly rescuing it.
When to stop and call someone
Call someone if the theme bundling WPBakery is no longer maintained, since every future WordPress and PHP update will break it again, or if you need to migrate away — converting shortcode content to clean markup at scale is work worth doing properly once.
Frequently asked
Because WPBakery is deactivated, missing, or incompatible, so its shortcodes are no longer being converted into layout. The content is intact — it is simply being displayed as raw instructions rather than rendered.
Usually because it came bundled with your theme rather than being licensed to you directly. Bundled copies update only when the theme does, so an unmaintained theme leaves the builder frozen at whatever version it shipped with.
If the new theme does not include WPBakery, every page built with it will display raw shortcodes. Content built with a shortcode builder is effectively locked to that builder, which is worth knowing before planning a redesign.
The plugin itself is still developed, but a great many sites run outdated bundled copies inside themes that are no longer maintained. That combination is where most problems come from, rather than the current version.
If the theme carrying it is abandoned, yes. Each WordPress and PHP release raises the chance of another break, and the shortcode lock-in gets more expensive to unwind the longer you leave it. Migrating once costs less than rescuing it repeatedly.
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